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The year after Jóhann Jóhannsson won a Golden Globe for his score for The Theory of Everything, the Icelandic composer continues to stay at the top of his game. In 2016, Jóhannsson has released two works, his third collaboration with director Denis Villeneuve for the score of Arrival and his first artist album in over seven years, Orphée.

Detroit-based genre-hopper Klayton (Celldweller)’s synthwave project Scandroid offers up a new cut from the much-anticipated self-titled debut, a cover of the Tears For Fears classic “Shout”, which we are pleased to premiere now. While remaining faithful to the spirit of the original, Scandroid has added a smart, contemporary vibe to the tune with brilliant blasts of synths and a loving nod to the pop sounds of the ‘80s. Klayton has apparently between waiting to record “Shout” since hearing the original just over 30 years; what’s apparent in his version is that he knows each change and lyric well and tempers his reverence with a healthy dose of originality.

by PopMatters Staff

Paul Carr: This is as spellbindingly beautiful as music gets. The deep tones of Cale may have been supplanted in the memory by Buckley’s higher pitched and sensational reading of Cohen’s classic but this is no less soul-stirring. It doesn’t matter that Cale’s cover came first. There is more than one way to cover a song and both Buckley’s and Cale’s are remarkable in their own way. Cale’s slightly more world-weary take adds even more emotional heft to the song. At times it’s almost too difficult to listen to, draped in the dark cowl of the imagery and the attachment that the listener already has for the song. [10/10]

by PopMatters Staff

Adriane Pontecorvo: “Come Down” is all about perfect layers. A solid, thumping bassline lays the perfect foundation for Anderson Paak’s raspy vocals, which split into several eerily discordant layers as Paak’s energy builds. With the quick drums adding another beat between voice and bass, there are enough rhythms for a truly versatile song, one for every kind of partygoer, whether chilling in the corner and slowly swaying or going hard out on the dance floor. It’s a short track, and not one with too memorable of a melody, but it showcases Paak’s talents admirably, and makes for a good, sharp groove. [8/10]

by PopMatters Staff

Andrew Paschal: The vocals here sit in an uncomfortable liminal space between singing and spoken word, taking on a rueful and bittersweet approach to storytelling. When I saw that the song is seven minutes long I settled in for an epic, but before I knew it, “Call Yourself Renee” was wrapping up and I realized I’d been staring out the window the whole time. Personally, I didn’t find this to be an absorbing tale in its own right, but it proved a solid vehicle for my own personal daydreams. [6/10]